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Lompoc commission forwards revised housing element to city council amid concerns over site listings and timing
Summary
After lengthy discussion and public comment, the planning commission voted 3-0 to forward the revised 2030 housing element, revised to address HCD comments, to the city council for readoption and submission for HCD certification; commissioners raised concerns about site inventories, reporting timelines and impacts on Old Town.
The Lompoc Planning Commission voted 3-0 to recommend that the City Council readopt the revised 2030 General Plan housing element and forward it to the council for adoption and submittal to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for certification.
Planning staff told the commission the element had been adopted previously by the council but required additional revisions after informal reviews with HCD. Staff referenced a substantial-conformance letter from HCD in the meeting packet and said the revised document incorporates HCDs requested changes. "Based on the changes that we made ... it does comply with state housing law," staff said, adding that HCDs substantial-conformance letter is included in the staff report.
The presentation highlighted numerous changes: 13 of 29 programs were revised in response to HCD; the city must amend municipal code sections to accommodate emergency shelters and some development-by-right streamlining for certain affordable housing on sites used in prior RHNA cycles; staff proposed raising allowed residential floor area in the Old Town commercial zone from 50% residential to 75% and permitting up to four stories (50 feet) in downtown/mixed-use zones to increase capacity. Staff also described an ADU permit-ready program funded through a state grant (a roughly $440,000 planning grant) with an estimated delivery of preapproved ADU plans in about 16 months if procurement proceeds on schedule.
Commissioners pressed staff on several points: how the city would monitor no-net-loss if sites are rezoned away from residential, how long affordability covenants would run when projects receive incentives (staff said covenant length is negotiated and that inclusionary provisions already exist locally), and whether the citys transit conditions meet state definitions for major transit stops (staff and consultant said the city currently lacks qualifying 15-minute headways and that the requirement can be noted in annual reporting if not applicable).
Resident Nicholas Gonzales urged caution about listing sites in the inventory because repeated inclusion in prior cycles can make sites development-by-right and reduce community input later. Gonzales asked for public posting of the list showing which sites were used in previous housing elements; staff said the list exists and can be posted or provided via records request.
After deliberation commissioners agreed to forward the revised element to council for the Nov. 19 public hearing and potential adoption, which would allow staff to submit the document to HCD for certification. Staff and the consultant emphasized that delays increase the citys exposure to builder's remedy and could jeopardize funding tied to timely certification.
